Texas Nexium Kidney Failure Lawyer

The heartburn drug Nexium has been linked to a 20-50% increased risk of chronic kidney disease in a recent study. Patients can also develop nephritis (kidney inflammation) at any time while taking Nexium. Both of these side effects can cause kidney failure.

Need a Texas Nexium Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you or a loved one was diagnosed with kidney failure, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.

Overview

Nexium (esomeprazole) is a medication that treats acid reflux, a condition that can cause heartburn and damage the esophagus. It works by decreasing the amount of acid made by the stomach.

FDA Updates Label on Nexium

In December 2014, the FDA updated the label on Nexium to include stronger warnings about acute interstitial nephritis. This sudden and severe kidney inflammation is caused by an allergic reaction. It can occur at any time during treatment with Nexium and it can cause kidney failure.

Study Links Nexium and 96% Increased Risk of Kidney Failure

A study published in April 2016 by the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology linked PPIs with a 26% increased risk of chronic kidney disease and a 96% increased risk of kidney failure. The conclusions were based on data from 170,000 veterans in the United States who used PPIs and 20,000 who used non-PPI heartburn drugs (H2-blockers like Pepcid).

Only 0.2% of study participants developed end-stage kidney failure, but the rate was nearly doubled in PPI users. After tracking participants for 5 years, about 15% of long-term PPI users had developed kidney disease. The rate of kidney failure was tripled in people who used PPIs for 1-2 years compared to people who used PPIs for less than a month.

Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, lead author of the study, warned:

“I think people see these medications at the drug store and assume they’re completely safe. But there’s growing evidence they’re not as safe as we’ve thought. [Patients should] use PPIs only when it is medically necessary, and should limit duration of exposure to the minimum necessary to treat the underlying medical condition.”

Study Links Nexium and 20-50% Increased Risk of Kidney Disease

Nexium belongs to a class of heartburn drugs called Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs). After the FDA linked all of these drugs with nephritis, researchers at Johns Hopkins University decided to investigate the risk.

They analyzed data on 10,482 people on heartburn medications and compared rates of nephritis among PPI-users and people who used non-PPI heartburn drugs like Zantac, Tagamet, and Pepcid between February 1996 and October 2015.

Researchers found that patients who took a PPI twice a day were 46% more likely to be diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), compared to a 15% increased risk for patients who took at PPI once a day.

Conclusions were published in JAMA Internal Medicine in January 2016. According to the lead author of the study, Dr. Morgan E. Grams:

“The study doesn’t prove that PPIs cause kidney disease and we don’t want to cause alarm. … One approach for patients who require a long course of PPIs would be to routinely monitor their kidney function.”

Nephritis and Kidney Failure

About 50% of people with nephritis develop symptoms of kidney failure, in which the kidneys stop cleaning the blood and removing excess fluid from the body in urine.

People with kidney failure will need treatments to do the work of the kidneys. This may involve dialysis, which involves going to a clinic to have the blood removed and cleaned in a machine.

Many people with kidney failure undergo dialysis for years while awaiting a kidney transplant. Patients who receive a healthy kidney from an organ donor will need to take anti-rejection medications for the rest of their life.

Complications of Kidney Failure

Kidney failure can cause complications in almost every part of the body, including:

Anemia

Bleeding from the stomach or intestines

Bone, joint, and muscle pain

Problems controlling blood-sugar levels

Nerve damage in arms and legs

Fluid buildup around lungs

High blood pressure

Heart attack

Heart failure

High potassium

Liver damage or failure

Infections

Stroke

Seizure

Dementia

And more

Need a Nexium Lawyer in Texas?

Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.

Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”

The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years experience, participation in over 600 jury trials and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our Texas Nexium lawyers for a free lawsuit review.

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Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.

"Collen's amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas."